Absolution Before We Fall
by ProneToRelapse
Summary: It didn't take a millenia for Kain to realise there was someone in the world who needed him. KainXRaziel, Rated M for later chapters. Set before and during the time of the clans.
1. Chapter 1

The chamber was silent, suspended soundlessly in darkness. For centuries it had been hidden, lost under years of Nosgoth's changing landscape as they land slowly began to decay. Water dripped into the centre of the chamber, pooling like liquid glass from years of filtration through miles of rock. Each new droplet caused a ripple to flow to the edges of the pool and the sound of the droplet echoed around the damp halls of the chamber.

The North-facing wall of the chamber produced a muted sound, a dull thud, and the pool rippled under the vibrations. The noise came again and the wall started to crack, a hairline fracture that split wider under unseen force. Dust and small particles of rock showered down from it, clouding the once crystal clear water. With one final crash, the wall splintered inwards.

Kain stepped through his makeshift doorway, brushing dust from his bare shoulders and shaking it loose from his hair. He carefully sidestepped the pool of water and surveyed the chamber, clearly remembering its former glory. He glanced briefly at the fading, cracked murals on the walls, the lionised depictions of whom the humans had called 'saviours'. Kain rolled his eyes at humanity's fatalism. Such idiocy. Had he ever been like that? It was getting increasingly hard to remember... So many year had passed since his resurrection and parts of his memory had dimmed and faded without his knowledge. When he looked back of his centuries of unlife, he was dismayed to find the memories harder to dredge up than pulling a submerged claw from the mud.

He walked slowly toward one of the murals, his eyes sweeping over the cracked, peeling images with mild curiosity. The six portraits looked dimly familiar. He wondered at the memory that fought to make itself known. Frustrated, he turned to the wall opposite the one he had destroyed. This one bore no mural. Instead, there lay the remains of a marble statue and a crushed base that bore the inscribed human runes of a name. Marble chunks crunched beneath Kain's toeclaws as he crouched to read the inscription.

_'Our brother, Raziel. Requiesce en pace.'_

Kain's eyes widened. He remembered! This group of fanatical Sarafan priests had caused him no end of trouble once upon a time. They had managed to wipe out half of his clan before they could escape and destroy their home, trapping several of the females inside. An involuntary growl tore itself from Kain's throat as he recalled the dying screams of his clan. He wasn't what you would call sentimental or caring, but he would gladly accept those titles if it meant he could slaughter in revenge.

A slow smile stretched across his face, fangs glinting in the dim light. The tomb he had come simply to desecrate now offered him a chance to strike back at the heart of the Sarafan. He collected himself, focusing and centring his powers into a small point, sending a blast of telekinetic energy straight at the wall behind the remains of the statue. In a cloud of smoke, the aged wall crumpled in on itself, weak after a century of decay. After the cloud of dust had cleared, Kain kicked the rubble out of his way until he had demolished half of the wall, revealing a small antechamber that housed a carved coffin, inlaid with an intricate gold web fashioned into the shape of the Sarafan emblem. Kain hooked a claw beneath the emblem and tugged it from its place on the coffin lid. Something to add to his already substantial collection of riches.

Bracing himself, Kain placed his claws onto the coffin lid and pushed with all his might. When the lid didn't budge, he straightened, flicking a claw toward it. He could detect magic here. The lid had been magically bonded to the coffin. Well, that just wouldn't do.

Unconcerned about impiety, Kain slammed a fist down onto the coffin. Cracks ripped away from his claws and he brought them down again, studiously smashing away the coffin lid until the body encased within was revealed. Like the lid, the body was swathed in magic to prevent decomposition, and Kain could see a line of glyphs etched onto the ceremonial armour the corpse wore. The vampire stared down at the body, momentarily moved when he saw how the man's life had ended. Stabbed through the heart. Just like he had been. A strange sense of kinship washed through him and he had to stop himself touching the bloodstained wound. Just like a Sarafan to die a martyr.

Kain took a moment to admire the beauty of the man asleep in death and smiled in quiet satisfaction, pleased with his act of calculated blasphemy. He reached into the coffin and lifted the corpse into his arms. The body was cold, colder than Kain's undead skin, but that was to be expected. He had a hard time manoeuvring the corpse into an easy position to carry due to rigour mortis that had set in after his assassination. Grunting in frustration, Kain gripped the corpse's hip and shoulder and bent the body roughly in half. There was a ghastly cracking sound as several bones snapped but Kain slung the body over one shoulder as though it was a sack of flour. He mapped the location of the chamber for later reference before departing the way he had come.

Two weeks prior to his raiding of the Sarafan tomb, Kain had infiltrated and decimated the last cathedral of the false altruists, slaughtering everyone inside. He ordered eighteen slaves to ransack the lavish interior of its furniture, decorations and riches, keeping them for himself. After that, he purged the ancient edifice with fire. He returned to the seat of his empire; the sanctuary her had built around the ruins of the pillars of Nosgoth, on the base of which he had set his throne. He had the slaves furnish the sanctuary with the stolen cathedral decor, transforming the sanctuary into a decadent kingdom.

Oddly, he had the slaves excavate two pits either side of the raised dais of the base of the pillars where his throne was, filling them with water to show his defiance and strength, choosing to have a vampire's weakness in his own home. Also, when he got around to fathering fledglings, he could kick the disobedient ones into the pools.

A stroke of genius, really.

It was to the sanctuary that Kain brought the corpse, stepping through the huge, oaken doors that were hauled open by four of his slaves. They baulked at the sight of the dead body in his arms and quailed when he levelled his stern gaze onto them. He ordered on of them to bring him two decanters of blood and the fearful human rushed to obey, pale as snow as he backed away from his master carrying the dead body.

Kain spared no thought for the traumatised whelp and turned his full attention onto the corpse. He was fully aware of the implications of what he was doing. He knew that his own corruption - passed from Nupraptor's insanity, infecting every guardian in the circle - would be passed into the body when he revived it. He stared down at his claws mutely and the skin of his arms that had taken on a strange green tinge. One thing he could clearly remember was his strange evolution. He had succumbed to a strange, regenerative sleep, terrified as he slipped into unconsciousness that he would never wake. When he did emerge, he was shocked to discover that he had three deadly claws sharp enough to carve through stone. He had wondered when he would gain them, as the patriarch of vampires, Vorador, had three claws instead of five. He banished the doubt that flickered through him. The corruption the corpse body would inherit would be very minor. The fledglings after that, however, would get slowly weaker, each one Kain would create becoming more infected each time as Kain's own corruption spread.

But this fledgling...would be close to perfection.

The terrified slave returned with the decanters, setting them down beside Kain with trembling hands. With a brief nod from his Master, the slave fled. Kain didn't take his eyes from the body, his brow furrowing as he recalled every instruction Vorador had given him on creating a fledgling. He raised his wrist to his mouth and bit down, barely flinching at the sharp pain that came when his fangs pierced the skin. Blood welled from the wound and Kain held his wrist over the corpse's slightly parted lips. The scarlet liquid dripped into the open mouth in frequent rivulets, spilling down the man's chin and onto his neck. Kain licked the wound closed and bent his head to the corpse's neck, biting down hard into his flesh and breathing out at the same time.

The sudden pain was as excruciating as it was unexpected, clenching Kain into a vice that he could not escape from. He tried to pull away, to unlock his jaw and rip his fangs from the pale, dead flesh, but he was held immobilised by an all-encompassing, unseen force. Fire tore through his mind, flashing beneath his eyelids and ripping through his immobilised limbs. He let out an involuntary groan of pain, the noise hoarse and strained in agony.

His bewilderment ended when the pain coalesced in his chest, focusing into an ever-smaller point until it became a pin-prick of the most intense and abject agony that Kain's body had ever been subjected to. But the pain wasn't of his body. The pain was affecting his soul. He knew what was happening, and finally understood why Vorador had never created more than one fledgling every six months. The process was filled with indescribable pain and Kain could feel his strength being sapped with every passing second.

He moved. Just an inch and it was involuntary. His back arched unnaturally, jaws still clamped around the dead man's neck. He groaned harshly as he felt his soul begin to split, one small piece separating itself from his entity. The sensation disturbed Kain more than anything he had experienced since his murder all those years ago. A profound sense of absolute wrongness welled up in him, nauseating him, threatening to make him purge himself.

A blast of pure force catapulted him backwards into the west wall of his chamber. The wall cracked under his weight and he slumped to the floor, gasping as his senses returned and the pain ebbed. He stared blearily at the corpse on the bed, getting shakily to his feet, his legs dangerously unsteady. The corpse's chest rose and fell with deep, cleansing breaths. Kain sagged back against the wall, weakly satisfied in this victory. The corpse twitched and opened its milky red eyes. It let out low keening sound.

Kain stepped forward. "Welcome, Raziel," he said softly. "Welcome to your new life."  
>The fledgling vampire pushed itself up weakly onto its elbows. Its eyes settled on Kain, wariness the primary emotion on its face. There was also curiosity, wonder and thirst. Kain lifted the decanter and held it out to the fledgling.<p>

"Here," he said. "Drink, my child." In a startlingly fast movement, Raziel snatched the decanter from Kain. His grip was too harsh, however, and the glass shattered between his hands. Blood spilled across his lap, staining the bed sheets crimson. Raziel howled miserably and Kain immediately fetched the second decanter, pushing away Raziel's desperately grasping hands as they fisted in the soiled sheets. Kain held the decanter just out of Raziel's grip and clucked his tongue soothingly. The fledgling's gaze was fixed on the decanter. He mewled for it pitifully, nostrils flaring and pupils dilating as he smelled its contents. Kain lifted the jug to Raziel's lips, his stern gaze warning the fledgling to keep his arms by his sides. He complied, purring gratefully when Kain poured the warm, rich liquid into his mouth.

Raziel finished the jug quickly and Kain sent for more. Delighted with his new friend, Raziel lifted a hand and took a lock of Kain's long hair between his fingers. His sire watched in amusement as his child explored his surroundings, from the feather-filled pillows to the flickering torches in their brackets. The way the fledgling moved, quick an sinuous one moment, slow and cautious the next, highlighted his volatile personality. In this unstable genesis of his life, Raziel could turn on Kain in an instant. he would have to be watched.

Raziel eyed the brackets curiously, as though he had never seen one before. All his previous memories had been wiped from his mind. They would only return if he sought to regain them, but Kain was prepared. He would plant false memories into his child's head and never reveal his true heritage.

A startled cry of pain had Kain kneeling beside his fledgling in an instant. Raziel was holding his hand close to his chest, growling at the bracket on the wall that he had evidently just touched. From what Kain could see, Raziel's had was badly burned and his regenerative powers had not yet manifested. Kain reached out for the injured hand and Raziel snapped viciously at him, mewling like a wounded animal. Kain met his gaze unflinchingly and reached again for the hand. Raziel remained locked in Kain's gaze, his eyes wide as Kain carefully took his hand between his claws. Light flashed across Raziel's skin and the welt disappeared.

Kain found himself knocked to the floor, a very grateful fledgling sitting on his chest and the crushing weight, Kain smiled. His ears pricked as he heard the slave returning with more blood.

"My name is Kain," the elder vampire explained after his child had satiated his thirst, gorging himself on six jugs of blood and, to Kain's eternal amusement, one unsuspecting slave. He was curled up contentedly against Kain's side, purring as his father tugged his claws through ebony hair. "I created you. You have become godlike, Raziel. You will serve be my side as my right hand - my sword - and you will be perfect."

A soft snore told him that Raziel had given up the fight to stay conscious. Kain smiled, surprised at the sense of affection he felt for the young creature in his arms.

"Sleep well, my son," he murmured, "for tomorrow your new life _really_ begins."


	2. Chapter 2

**One small note, if there are any errors within this story or 'artistic license taken too far', then I appreciate all reviews that indicate this, as long as they aren't submitted with an arrogant attitude. Fanfiction is not a serious rendition of the story, it is the reader's - or in this case, gamer's - interpretation and ideas as to what _could _gave happened within the plot-line. **

**Also, have you _played _Legacy of Kain? The story is really good, but in some places, hard to follow if you don't concentrate.**

**Thank you and please enjoy.**

* * *

><p>Life return to Raziel's long dead body in a dizzying rush that left him weak and disorientated. That return was not kind. His body bucked and writhed as pain coursed through him, infusing his entire body with feeling and life. As though he had been doused with icy water, he gasped, every sense screaming in shock and confusion. He was being torn in a million different directions at once, each individual particle that made up his body thrumming with new energy.<p>

He was _so_alive!

Breaking the surface of his rebirth, Raziel's eyes snapped open as he dragged a burning breath past his icy lips. Where was he? Who was he? His mind was hazy and his memories... He had none. He tried to remember anything before this moment...nothing... He gave a soft, moaning keen, unable to contain his dismay or voice his confusion coherently. His desperate eyes gazed at his surroundings, trying to find something he could understand. His eyes focused on another presence in the dimly lit room.

"Welcome, Raziel. Welcome to your new life." The voice was soft, compelling, though the creatures red eyes were fierce. Yet Raziel understood the words spoken. Welcome... He was welcome here? New life? Had he lived an old life, then? Raziel... He pushed himself up onto weak arms. At last, something familiar. In his heart, he felt the rightness of the name.

_I am Raziel._

He winced as a dry burn rasped in his throat. That sensation was new and he disliked it greatly. The other creature looked as though he understood Raziel's pain and lifted a clay jug, holding it out to Raziel, speaking comfortingly all the while.

"Here," he said cajolingly. "Drink, my child."

His child? Raziel was a child?

The coherency of thought that Raziel had only just gained vanished as a scent so pure and rich reached his nostrils. Whatever that scent came from, Raziel needed it. He needed it so desperately that he feared he would go mad without it. He snatched at the clay jug, moving so fast that he shocked even himself. The jug seemed to have no more form than paper and exploded between his hands. As its scarlet contents drained away, Raziel gave a pained howl as the burn in his throat intensified. The other creature caught his attention when he raised another jug. Raziel whimpered, begging for it. With a stern glare, the other creature raised the jug to Raziel's lips, eyes narrowing when Raziel made to reach out for it again. Grunting in dissatisfaction, Raziel kept his arms by his sides. The creature tipped the jug toward his mouth and Raziel drank greedily, gulping down the warm liquid gluttonously. He keened in dismay when it ran empty, begging for more.

The strange creature made a gesture with his hand that Raziel could not yet understand. But, he was pleased that this creature had fed him and associated him with 'safety'. He reached out and tugged at a lock of white hair that felt both coarse and silky at the same time. Raziel purred and moved off the bed, sniffing as he examined the room like a cautious animal. He heard a throaty cheuckle behind him but ignored it. Something was flickering on the wall and Raziel _wanted _it. It moved tantalisingly, taunting Raziel's instincts, calling at him to reach out and touch it...

Pain shot up Raziel's arm and he cried out in pain. Safety was immediately beside him but Raziel didn;t care. He was hurt. When Safety reached out to him, he hissed and skittered backwards, cradling his ingured hand to his chest. He did not yet trust Safety enough to allow him to come near when he was hurt. Safety, although he had provided food, still reeked of power. He could destroy Raziel, if he so chose to.

And yet...there was something in the other's eyes that made Raziel pause when he gazed at him. Safety reached for him again and Raziel held still. His hand was gently tugged forward into claws that were more careful than their appearance suggested. Raziel wanted to run, but he was not yet strong enough to go far without exhausting himself. Even now, the edges of his consciousness blurred with fatigue.

Raziel tensed further as a bright light flashed across his hand. The pain of the burn disappeared instantly and the red welt the hot, flickering thing had caused had gone. Safety had healed him! Healed him from...

_Fire, _Raziel remembered. _Bad. Fire burns._

Immensely grateful, Raziel flung himself at Safety, knocking them both backwards. He grinned happily down at Safety who smiled back in amusement. They both looked toward their right when a soft knock sounded against wood. Raziel was shoved off of his Master unceremoniously and watched as the older creature opened the door. Raziel looked up with wide eyes as another creature, new and familiar all at once, stepped inside, a tray in his hands. Raziel could smell that delicious scent again. He growled instinctively and, before anyone could stop him, he had thrown himself across the room, colliding with the slight creature with enough force to knock him down. Acting on blind instinct alone, Raziel sank his sharp teeth into the throat of the terrified newcomer.

But Raziel's teeth were not yet sharp enough to cleanly pierce through flesh and sinew. He bit into the struggling stranger's neck and tore away a chunk of skin, messily spraying himself and safety's boots with scarlet lifeblood. The creature under Raziel's hands screamed, a sound that choked off into an agonised gurgled as Raziel returned his mouth to the gaping wound, drinking down the blood with soft sounds of rapture.

The jugs the stranger had brought with him were quickly disposed of and Raziel found himself curled up against his Master's chest, purring softly as his hair was stroked.

"My name is Kain," the creature murmured. Raziel blinked slowly, his conscious mind creeping away into the darkness of sleep. 'Kain's' words echoed as if from far away. "I created you. You have become godlike, Raziel. You will serve by my right hand and..."

Raziel knew no more.

',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',',','

Once Raziel was strong enough to go more than two hours without feeding, Kain, feeling very much the parent, allowed his fledgling to explore the grounds of his sanctuary. Opening the wide doors with a burst of telekinetic energy, Kain stood back and waited patiently for Raziel to realise he was being granted a small slice of freedom.

Raziel, who had taken to agilely crawling across the floor using his hands and feet, was sitting up like a dog, his hands on the floor between his knees. He looked to Kain with an expression of confusion. Kain's lip curled in agitation as he realised her would have to pander to his fledgling's needs for longer than he anticipated. He cleared his throat and made shooing motions with his claws, pointing toward the doors.

"Go," he commanded. "You, outside. Go. Now."

Raziel looked toward the door and then back to his creator, his expression becoming one of deep upset. He let out a pained whine and retreated backwards a few steps. He fixed his baleful gaze on Kain and whimpered, somehow managing to reproach Kain with the utterance.

"I don't want you to leave," Kain said in exasperation. "You can go outside. I'm letting you outside… Oh, you're hopeless," Kain muttered, folding his arms and striding through the doors. "If Vorador could see me now…" He shuddered to think. The older vampire would have laughed mercilessly and Kain's reputation would be in tatters. Not that there were any vampires left to hear the rumours. And Vorador was no more.

"Mmrr…" The soft noise of curiosity made Kain turn around. Raziel had ventured halfway through the doors in an attempt to follow his Sire. He placed one hand gingerly on the ground, lifting his hand and sniffing it. He looked to Kain for guidance.

"Why do I feel like I'm babysitting you?" Kain asked the fledgling. "I expected something more. Vorador's tales of fledgling creation made you sound like bloodthirsty animals that were crazed for blood and destroyed everything in their path. You definitely act like an animal. But where I was expecting a savage beast, I received a puppy."

Raziel fixed his gaze on Kain. The older vampire was surprised to see indignation in those milky irises. A low growl rumbled from Raziel's throat, his gaze narrowing into a glare. He shifted his feet beneath him and straightened up, wobbling precariously as he moved to straighten his curved spine from its animalistic posture. Kain watched in fascination as his fledgling tried to copy his stance.

"…Mmrr…" Raziel growled again, his arms slowly moving up to try and fold themselves into position like Kain's. His legs trembled under unaccustomed weight. Once he had succeeded in mastering the position, he returned his gaze to Kain, a hint of smugness curling around the corners of his lips. Kain nodded his approval.

"Good, Raziel. It seems disapproval gets a reaction out of you eventually."

Raziel didn't seem to agree with Kain's conclusion. He shrank back down into his crouched position and grumbled darkly to himself, skulking back into the halls of the sanctuary. Kain followed with a low chuckle in his throat.

"We'll make a hunter out of you yet, Raziel," Kain laughed. The fledgling snorted and pounced on a flicker of light on the marble floor. Kain froze as he watched Raziel try to capture the reflection and stepped back toward the doors of the sanctuary, looking up to the sky. The thick clouds were thinning, their widespread cover waning at an alarming rate. Kain's head snapped back to Raziel who was venturing outside again, following the light like a cat would a ball of string.

"Raziel, come back!" Kain snapped. Raziel ignored him, pausing a second before leaping back outside after the light. Kain looked up with an almost frantic surge in his chest. Almost faster than he could react, a split appeared in the clouds; a shaft of deadly sunlight piercing through, bathing the courtyard of the sanctuary in poisonous light.

"Raziel!" Kain shouted, sprinting towards his fledgling.

Later, Kain would tell himself that the reason he was so desperate to reach Raziel before the sun did was because of the effort involved in creating a new fledgling. He would force himself to accept the reasoning that another, newer fledgling would be more susceptible to the corruption plaguing Kain's body and would not be as strong nor as loyal. Those were the reasons that Kain would repeat to himself later, after he sprinted toward his fledgling as though an army of Hylden were behind him.

Raziel looked up as his Sire flashed toward him, his gaze flickering upwards as the sunlight pierced the sky. Instinctively, he scrambled towards Kain knowing; above all else, that Kain would bring safety in the light of this new, unknown danger.

Kain could hear his heartbeat in his ears as he reached out to Raziel, hoping to draw him in before the sunlight caught him. When he was within inches of Raziel, the shaft of sunlight fell directly onto the fledgling, bathing his pale body in a golden glow that wracked his body with a pain he had never known. Raziel convulsed, screaming out on agony. Kain's breath rushed out of his lungs as he skidded to a stop, one hand shielding his eyes from the harsh light, wincing as Raziel howled, his entire body hissing and smoking.

Kain cursed all the deities he both knew and didn't and reached for Raziel's flailing form, dragging him out of the sun's rays and all but dragging him inside. Though he hadn't been in the sun for more than a few seconds, Raziel's body was badly burned; angry red welts covered his bare skin.

Kain laid him down on the marble floor of the sanctuary, bellowing at a slave to close the doors. Raziel continued to convulse, screaming his agony to the heavens as he burned alive. Kain watched on helplessly, his claws extended toward Raziel with nothing to do. Swallowing, he knelt beside his fledgling, trying to hold him still as the fledgling began to slash at himself with jagged nails.

"Raziel! Raziel, calm yourself! The pain will go, the pain will stop! Just calm down!"

Raziel threw his head back and bellowed, one word echoing through the halls as it tore from his abused throat. His voice cracked as he screamed.

"_Kain_!"

Kain's claws clamped down on the fledglings shoulders, holding his arms away from his body. Using on knee to pin Raziel's right arm, Kain slashed his own wrist with a claw so that blood gushed from the wound, dripping on to Raziel's charred skin. The welt beneath the blood hissed and contorted before losing its redness and healing back into its normal state.

"Bring me blood!" Kain roared. Four slaves hastened to obey, bringing two jugs each of the scarlet liquid. Kain released Raziel's arms and grabbed two jugs from the first slave, pouring the copious liquid onto the fledgling's prone form. His screams quietened, becoming low moans and whimpers as the blood soothed his skin to a point where Raziel's own adapting healing abilities began to take effect. Kain's shoulders slumped in relief and he lifted Raziel into his arms, carrying him to his bedchambers.

Once swathed in the blankets, Raziel's face slackened in unconsciousness. As he waited for his child to wake up, Kain began to reason with himself.

But there is a fine line between reasoning with oneself and lying to oneself.

Raziel moaned and shifted in the bed, his skin more sensitive than normal due to his sunlight exposure. His throat felt scorched as the burn from screaming and the desiccating thirst melded together to cause a fire in his oesophagus. He cracked his bleary eyes open, raising his head slightly when he caught sight of Kain watching him from the opposite side of the room. His Sire's face was shadowed and he looked angry. Raziel would have to wait a few years before he could read the older vampire's eyes well enough to see relief when it was there.

"In future, I expect you to obey me at once. Is that clear?"

Raziel said nothing. Kain didn't expect him to.

"By the end of this week I expect you to be able to speak, do you understand? Your silence is beginning to make me think you are stupid."

Enough was enough. Raziel's eyebrows pinched together as he glared at Kain. "Not…stupid," he croaked, pushing himself up onto his elbows. Kain's eyes lightened in surprise.

"Why didn't you speak before?" the older vampire demanded.

"Nothing…to…say." Raziel raised his hand to rub his eyes, crying out in shock when he raked a gash across his cheek. He stared down at his hands. From the tips of his fingers, lethal claws jutted out. He gritted his teeth as his skin prickled, the sharp burn of the gash fading into nothing. Careful to only touch his face with the pads of his fingers, Raziel felt the wounded area. Nothing.

"How…long…?"

"You were asleep for nearly four days," Kain said disapprovingly. "A short period of evolution while your body adjusts to your vampiric powers. Your healing is faster, your strength is greater. You will experience physical changes that will become less frequent and more drastic as you get older. It is normal and it is necessary."

Raziel touched his cheek again. "Your skin will become more durable," Kain added. "Only magically enhanced blades will be able to penetrate your skin."

With a sigh, Raziel sank back onto the pillows. "Tired," he breathed.

"You should be. Evolution exacts a heavy toll on the body. You'll need to rest for at least two days." Kain hated this…_caring _personality his fledgling seemed to bring out in him. As soon as Raziel was strong enough, Kain was going to kick him across the sanctuary grounds. For educational purposes.

"Thirsty…"

Kain sighed and stood, fetching a goblet from the table. He filled it with blood and held it to Raziel's lips. The fledgling drank greedily, a soft purr rumbling from his chest. When the cup was empty, Raziel sighed and settled into the pillows, his eyes fluttering shut.

Kain turned to walk away, feeling the need to hunt weigh on him. He was at the door when he heard a faint, "thank you."

Kain looked over his shoulder at Raziel. "What?"

"Thank you," Raziel repeated with his eyes closed. "You saved…my life…"

Kain's response was to grunt and leave the room as quickly as possible. His fledgling was pathetic; a weakling. Kain would soon beat that out of him.

But a small part of Kain – a _very _small part – warmed to his child's gratitude.

Now how was Kain going to beat that out of _himself_?

He strode down the halls, boots clicking out a brisk rhythm on the flagstone floor. For a quick, effective getaway, he leaped from one of the higher windows, landing silently on the ground, slowing his descent before he reached the dirt. He sped off in a Northerly direction, gaining speed as his mind registered where he was going before his heart did. A dark scowl settled into place on his features as he darted past trees and across old pathways with the speed and solidity of a spectre.

The moonlight broke through the cloud cover at brief intervals, but her light was safe and didn't hurt Kain's vampiric skin. Not like the sun that had nearly destroyed his fledgling. Anger flooded through Kain, anger that was misplaced and unjustified to anyone with a sane and reasoned outlook. But Kain needed someone to lash his anger out against, and who better to avenge the harming of his fledgling upon than the human cattle?

The city limits of Meridian came into view an hour after Kain's departure from the sanctuary. He ghosted up the side of one building, leaping across the rooftops until he reached the factory that provided meridian with its livelihood. Kain misted through a barred window, creeping silently toward the control room. He paused outside the metal door. His amplified hearing picked up five separate heartbeats inside. A sinister smile crept across his face, fangs glinting in the artificial light. He drew back and smashed through the door.

Four of the humans were dead before they could even turn and the last was pinned against the wall, Kain's claws against his throat, constricting his airways and stopping his screams. Kain leaned in close, the scent of adrenaline-spiked blood saturating the air in the room.

"You're going to do something for me," Kain growled. "I want smoke pouring out of this factory day and night. I want every cloud of smog and waste pumped into the sky. Do you understand?"

The choking man did his best to nod, his legs kicking uselessly in an effort to break free from Kain's iron grip.

"You never saw these four people. They disappeared. You know nothing about it." Kain poured power into his words, hypnotising the man into agreeing. The human sagged, eyes blank and staring. Kain let him drop to the floor. He panted there for a few minutes before getting up and walking over to the controls, pulling a large lever downwards. He did not look Kain's way again.

Kain lifted the four dead humans easily and carried them from the room and out of the factory, disappearing into the night without a sound. He drank from the humans greedily and discarded their bodies, turning to gaze at the funnel of the factory that was now pouring thick, black clouds into the sky. Kain smiled. A few more factories doing the same thing would mean that thick smog would cover Nosgoth, blotting out the sun.

For Kain's plans involved harsher changes that would mean death for the humans. If Kain was to rule over a failing world, he would corrupt it as thoroughly as possible to make way for the vampires he would bring into existence.

A new age would begin. An Empire would rise, greater, even, than the time of the ancient vampires. Kain would rule it all.

After all, he _was _the Scion of Balance.


End file.
